Method of treating billets prior to extrusion



May 30, 1933. F. SINGER 1,912,015

METHOD OF TREATING BILLETS PRIOR TO EXTRUSONl Filed Jue 2,v 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 30, r1533? F. SINGER 1,912,015

METHOD OF TREATING BLLETS PRIOR TO EXTRUSION Filed June 2, 1952 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 30, 1933. F. SINGER 1,912,015

METHOD OF TREATING BILLETS PRIOR TO EXTRUSION Filed June 2, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE FRITZ SINGER, F NUREMBERG, GERMANY METHOD OF TREATING BILLETS PRIOR T0 EXTBUSION Application led June 2, 1932, Serial No. 614,959, and in Germany July 4, 1928.

My invention pertains to the treatment of Waste of material, taking the form of a plug billets, especially of iron and steel, preparadriven out by such mandrel, is avoided. 1 tory to the extrusion operation, and to a obtain this object by subjecting the billet method of, and apparatus for, conducting to the action of a cross-roll piercing mill such treatment. equipped with the usual piercing mandrel,

In making solid and hollow articles, espeso that the billet is simultaneously freed of cially from iron and steel, by the hot extruscale, brought to the required diameter, and sion process, the heated billets, immediately pierced. before introducing them into the container It is still another object of my invention of the press, must be accurately freed from to remove the scale from either or both of 60 scale, in order that the extruded articles may the end surfaces of the billets, and this is achave smooth surfaces as Well as to avoid un complished by subjecting the billets to the due Wear and tear of the extruding tools. It action of Scrapers operating on one or both is an object of my invention to provide an of the ends of the billets and having rela- 5 improved method of thus freeing the lateral tive rotation with respect thereto. 65 surfaces of the billets from scale, and ap- Various forms of apparatus, constructed paratus for carrying out Such method, which 1n accordance with my invention, for pracobject I attain by subjecting the lateral surticing my improved method are described face or surfaces of the billet to the action of in the following specification and shown in rotating members acting on the billet in the accompanying drawings. My method,` such a manner as not to distort or bend its however, may be carried out by other apaxis. paratus than that described andv shown, and

The rotating members may be the grooved changes may be made in the particular forms rolls of an ordinary bar mill, or they may of apparatus illustrated, without exceeding s be helically-acting rolls such as are employed the scope of my invention, as defined in the in piercin reeling, etc. The rolling presappended claims. sure may e moderate, so as to result only In the drawings: in a strong treatment of the lateral surface Figs. 1 and 2 are a side elevation and a of the billet, with but slight reduction of diplan, respectively, each partly in section, of 8o ameter. Or the rolling pressure may be a cross-roll apparatus for removing the heavy enough to reduce the diameter of the Scale from the lateral surfaces of the billets, billet considerably, in addition to removing w1th Scrapers for removing the scale from the Scale. The use of bar mills has the adthe end Surfaces. vantages that a material reduction of the Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a crossdiameter of round billets can be obtained, roll apparatus for removing the scale from concurrently with the removal of the scale, the lateral surfaces of the billets and at the without piercing the billet, or leaving its Same time piercing the latter; core spongy, one of which latter effects would Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, result from using cross-rolls applying heavy of an apparatus combining a bar mill for pressure, and that billets of other than round removing the scale from the lateral surfaces crossssection can be treated. of non-circular billets, with a rotating device It is a further object of my invention to for removing the scale from the ends thereeffect the desired removal of scale from the of; lateral surface of round billets whilst at the Fig. 5 is a Section on the line V-V of 95 same time transforming the billet into a Fig. 4; and tubular blank,-Which will be especially Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show three other forms suitable for extrusion into a tubular article, of rotating devices for removing the scale. since most, if not all, of the penetrating Work Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 desigordinarily done by the central mandrel of nates a frame having mounted therein, for 1 the extrusion press is eliminated, and the lateral adjustment, suitably driven cross-rolls 11. A feed trough, 12, is disposed at one side of the frame and a delivery trough, 13, on the other. A support, 14, for the billet,- designated a throughout,-is disposed between the rolls and is slidably mounted, in suitable guides, upon adjustable studs 15.

Beyond thefeed trough 12 is an air cylinder 16, thepiston' rod 17 ot which is square, and is provided, at its outer end, with a head 18 carrying a scraper 19. Beyond the delivery trough 13 is an air cylinder 20, of smaller diameter than ...the cylinder 16, the piston rod 21 of which is likewise s uare, and is provided with a head, 22, carrylng a scraper 23.

In the operation of theapparatus, the piston is withdrawn in the cylinder 16 away from the cross-rolls, and the piston in the cylinder 20 is advanced towards the crossrolls until the scraper 23 is at or beyond the throat of the rolls,-i. e., somewhat to the right of the position' shown in Fig. 1. A billet having then been placed in the feed trough 12, air is admitted into the cylinder 16 in such direction as to move its piston to the left. The scraper 19 engages the end of the billet and pushes the latter along the support 14 into the cross rolls until the opposite end of the billet engages the scraper 23. Since the diameter of the cylinder 16 is greater than that of the cylinder 20 (the air pressure being the same) the scraper 19 will press upon the billet with greater force than the scraper 23, and the billet will move through the cross-rolls in accordance with the usual action of the latter, the scale being removed and falling away in the manner indicated. Since the billet is rotated by the action of the cross-rolls, and the Scrapers are held against rotation by reason of the square shape of the piston rods, the Scrapers will remove the scale from the ends of the billet.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the form of apparatus for carrying out my method, shown therein, comprises a frame 24 having mounted therein a pair of piercing cross-rolls 25 of which only one is shown) into the throat of which a mandrel 26 is adapted to be introduced, in the manner well understood in the art of billet piercing. At the entry side of the frame is mounted a trough 27 for receiving the billet, and beyond this is an air cylinder 28, which may be similar to the air cylinder 16 described in connection with the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The piston rod 29 of the cylinder is provided at its end with a head 3() carrying a scraper 31. In the particular form of apparatus shown, the billet is fed to the cross-rolls in a plane above the narrowest part of the throat of the latter, so that the cross-rolls themselves will support the billet, and a guide, 32, above the billet, is all that is necessary.

The billet is placed in the trough 27, whereupon the operator introduces air to the cylinder 28 to cause the scraper 31 to engage the rear end of the billet and push the latter into the `cross-rolls. The cross-rolls themselves will forward the billet through the pass, and, the air pressure being properly proportioned, the scraper will remain in contact with the rear end of the billet, removing the scale therefrom inthe manner described above. The billet will emerge, pierced, upon the mandrel 26, whence it may be removed for insertion into the container of the press.

Scale on the end of the billet which is uppermost in the container of the extrusion press does not have any material injurious effect, as it retains its position and is ultimately talren away with the extrusion residue. Therefore it is frequently sufficient to remove the scale from one end only of the billet. In the present instance, the flow of the metal, incident to the piercing operation, will cause a material part of the end scale to fall away,

so that the fact that the leading end of the billet is not scraped is of particularly small importance, though this end may be separately scraped if, for particular reasons, it is found desirable. Because of the 'low of the metal, during the piercing operation, and the consequent loosening of the scale at the ends of a billet, the scraper 31 may frequently be omitted, and an ordinary feeding ram substituted therefor.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the apparatus, for carrying out my method, shown therein, comprises a bar rolling mill 33 hav- 1n shped to reduce slightly a billet of non-circular shape, in this case of square cross section. At one side of the mill is a feed trough 35 from which the billet is introduced between the rolls 34, and on the other side of the mill is a delivery roller table 36 leading to an upwardly flared cone-shaped receptacle 37, the lower end 38 of which is open and of substantially the same shape as the billet. Below the open end of the receptacle is a head 39, the upper face of which is formed with integral or attached scraping projections as shown, mounted on a shaft 40 carried by a vertical bearing stand 41. The shaft is suitably driven, as by means of a belt 42.

The billet is delivered from the mill over the roller table 36 and falls into the receptacle 37, the shape of which causes it to occupy the vertical position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, with its lower end resting upon the rotating head 39. The billet is held against rotation because of the shape of the lower end of the receptacle, so that the head will scrape the scale away from the end of the billet. If the apparatus is used in connection with billets of circular cross section, the aXis of the head 39 will be placed eccentric to the axis of the receptacle 37 ,-so as to prevent rotationof the billet with the head,to permit the scraping action to ocrolls 34a formed with grooves 34 suitably cur. As has been said, the scrapingof one end of a billet will frequently be su cient. In cases where it is desired to scrape both ends, the billet will be removed from the receptacle by the attendant, and replaced in an inverted position.' After being subjected to the action of the scraping head 39, the billets are withdrawn from the receptacle and deposited on a feed table 43 which carries them to the extrusion press.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 6 comprises a hollow roll 44 supported in bearings 45 so as to occupy a position inclined to the horizontal, and adapted to be rotated, as by means of a belt pulley 46. The interior of the roll is formed with either integral or attached scraping projections 47 which may be advantageously arranged in helical lines. The billet is introduced at the upper end of thc roll, in the manner shown, and, during the rotation of the roll, will travel towards the lower end thereof, by gravity and the action of the helically arranged projections. However a feed ram, secured against rotation and equipped with a scraper at one end, may be provided, as shown in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. 'Ihe hollow roll can be placed between the furnace and the extrusion press so as to exercise, in addition to its function of removing the scale, the further function of conveying the billet from the furnace to the press.

In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 7, a pair of rolls 48 are disposed with their axes parallel but inclined to the horizontal, so that an inclined trough is formed between the rolls. The surfaces of the rolls are provided with integral or attached scraping projections 49, so that the lateral face of the billet will be scraped clean of scale as the billet roites in the trough formed between the two ro s.

In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 8, a scraper head 50 is mounted at one end of a shaft 51 rotatably supported at an angle of 45 by a bearing stand 52, the shaft being rotated by means of a pulley 53 secured thereto. Rotatably mounted on the shaft 51is a pulley 54 carrying a cylindrical container 55, the inner face of which is provided with integral or attached scraper projections 56, the arrangement being such that the scraper head 50 forms the bottom of the container 55. Holes 57 are formed at the lower part of the wall of the container 55 to permit egress of the scales. The container 55 is rotated in the opposite direction to the head 50 so that the lateral surface and the one end of the billet will be simultaneously scraped. If it is desired to scrape the other end of the billet, the latter is reversed in the container.

I claim:

1. The method of producing articles of iron, steel or the like by hot extrusion, which comprises subjecting a billet, heated at least to the temperature required for extruding the same, to the action of rotating members applied to the lateral surface of the billet to knead such surface without distorting the billet axis, thereby to remove scale from the billet. and thereupon, without further heating thereof, inserting said billet into the container of an extrusion press and extruding said billet. Y

2. The method of producing articles of iron, steel or the like by hot extrusion, which comprises subjecting a billet, heated at least to the temperature required for extruding the same, to the action of rotating rolls applied to the lateral surface of the billet so as to reduce the billet in diameter without disturbing the axis thereof, whereby scale is removed from the billet, and thereupon, without further heating thereof, inserting said billet into the container of an extrusion press and extruding said billet.

3. The method of producing articles of iron, steelor the like by hot extrusion, which comprises subjecting a billet, heated at least to the temperature required for extruding the same, to theaction of rotating members applied to the lateral surface of the billet to knead such surface without distorting the billet axis, thereby to remove scale from the billet, and subjecting an end surface of said billet to the action of a member having relative rotation with respect thereto to remove scale from such end, and thereupon, without further heating thereof, inserting said billet into the container of an extrusion press and extruding said billet.

4. The method of producing articles of iron, steel or the like by hot extrusion, which comprises subjecting a billet, heated at least to the temperature required for extruding the same, to the action of rotating members applied to knead such surface without distorting the billet axis, thereby to'remove scale from the billet, and simultaneously subjecting an end surface of said billet to the action of a member having relative rotation with .respect thereto to remove scale from such end, and thereupon, j inserting said billet into the container of an extrusion press and extruding said billet.

5. rl.`he method of producing articles of iron, steel or the like by hot extrusion, which comprises subjecting a billet, heated at least to the temperature required for extruding the same, to the action of a rotating member applied to the lateral surface of the billet so as the lateral surface of the billet toI without further heating thereof,l

to remove scale therefrom without disturbing the axis of the billet, and thereupon. without further heating thereof, inserting said billet into the container of an extrusion press and extruding said billet.

6. The method of producing articles of iron, steel or the like by hot extrusion, which comprises subjecting a billet, heated at least to the temperature re same, to the action o a rotating member applied to the lateral surface of the billet so as to remove scale therefrom without disturbing the axis of the billet, simultaneously subjecting an end surface of said billet to the action of a. member having relative rotation with res ect thereto to remove scale from such end wit out disturbing the axis of the billet, and thereupon, without further heating thereof, inserting said billet into the container of an extrusion press and extruding said billet.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto sign my name.

FRITZ SINGER.

uired for extruding the i 

